Chanukah: Major or Minor Leagues?
The light of Chanukah is representative of the light G-d created the first day of creation. This light was not sunlight but a spiritual force too powerful for an imperfect world to experience and enjoy, so, our sages tell us, G-d concealed this light for the future Messianic Age. However, when the Hasmoneans demonstrated unparalleled devotion to G-d in their rebellion against the encroachment of Greek values, they helped to generate this hidden light.
A Kernel of Truth
Chanukah is generally regarded as a “minor” Jewish Holiday. This perception was undoubtedly engendered by three factors.
Firstly — and the only kernel of truth in this perception — Chanukah has no work restrictions as do other Holidays such as Passover, Rosh Hashanah, etc.
Secondly, Chanukah historically is rooted in a military victory. Many Jews who have grown up in the Vietnam era with its distaste for militarism feel uncomfortable with a Holiday celebrating military prowess.
Thirdly, Chanukah’s proximity to the “other” non-Jewish holiday with its emphasis on gift giving and commercialism has prompted some Jewish functionaries to minimize the importance of Chanukah. The objective was to discourage Jewish children and adults from being under the influence of the non-Jewish culture within which we live.
In truth, however, Chanukah is not only a major Holiday, but it is unique even among other Major Jewish Holidays. This assertion is based on the Midrash which states that in the future Messianic Age, when all other Holidays will no longer shine so brilliantly, Chanukah will still be around as a major Festival. Chanukah’s message, our sages tell us, defies the constraints of time.
Whether in exile or in a period of Redemption, Chanukah’s light will not be extinguished our out-shined.
The Uniqueness of Chanukah
What is it about Chanukah that is so unique?
The light of Chanukah is representative of the light G-d created the first day of creation. This light was not sunlight but a spiritual force which enabled people to see from one end of the world to the other. This light was too powerful for an imperfect world to experience and enjoy, so, our sages tell us, G-d concealed this light for the future Messianic Age.
However, when the Hasmoneans demonstrated unparalleled devotion to G-d in their rebellion against the encroachment of Greek values, they helped to generate this hidden light.
Every time we light Chanukah candles we gain access to this hidden force and are given a taste of the light that we will experience fully in the near future.
This light is characterized by its purity and integrity. The Holiday of Chanukah thus is a Holiday which reaches into the essence of our souls and elicits the most pure and sincere feelings of closeness to our G-d and our people. This kind of light can never be extinguished and portends the light of the future. (See following essay for a fuller treatment of the uniqueness of Chanukah.)
From the book Light from the Future: Chanukah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
